Journalists, activists, and civil society organisations from African countries recently gathered for a 2-day hybrid workshop by the Human Rights Journalists Network Nigeria, HRJN, in Lagos, Nigeria.
Their mission was to enhance their awareness of digital rights and cybersecurity practices in the digital space.
At the end, 70 of the attendees’ agreed that their expectations were met as a result of the project by HRJN.
The event, themed “Digital Security And Resilience Workshop,” took place on Thursday, July 18 and Friday, July 19, 2024. It was filled with presentations and the exchange of ideas by trainers and participants from various countries.
The workshop was organised by the team led by Mr. Kehinde Adegboyega from HRJN and was a collaboration with the West African Civil Society Institute, WACSI, Citizens Gavel, Digitup TECH, ChatVE, BONews, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.
One of the speakers at the event, Mr. Israel Olatunji Tunji, a Data Scientist and the founder of ChatVE, gave lectures on privacy, security principles in the digital space, as well as discussions on premium applications and other cybersecurity issues.
He advised journalists to familiarise themselves with a set of principles established by experts to ensure privacy and security in the digital space, such as confidentiality, integrity, and availability to protect themselves from threats.
According to him, “New threats are coming in, which some may call a zero-game vulnerability. They’re saying that the device or the platform owner does not even know that that threat or that vulnerability exists, and people are already exploiting it.”
In an interview with CASEFILE, HRJN Executive Director Kehinde Adegboyega explained that the workshop aimed to help journalists understand how to protect themselves while carrying out their work, particularly in holding the government accountable.
The workshop covered topics such as understanding issues related to surveillance, pro-bono support, and litigation issues for journalists.
“We are the first estate of the realm. We have seen journalists being attacked and harassed because of what they wrote. The workshop is focused on digital security and resilience for journalists. We talked about issues around state surveillance and how journalists can protect themselves. We even have a partnership with an NGO that provides pro-bono support on litigation issues for journalists.”
During the event, Mr. Godstime Agho, Web and Program Digital Manager with HRJN highlighted the importance of using strong passwords to protect devices, applications, social media accounts, and physical assets. He also emphasised the use of Open-Source Intelligence Tools, OSINT, and encouraged organisations to develop a security plan.
Blessing Oladunjoye, HRJN Deputy Executive Director, advised journalists to be cautious when operating online or digitally. She demonstrated how vulnerable media users can be by posting carelessly. The event was moderated by Shakirudeen Bankole, Communication Lead, HRJN.
